


dog days

by ohhthatgirl



Category: Captain America - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Pining, Reader-Insert, Sexual Tension, Swearing, bucky is a dork, dog sitter AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-26
Updated: 2018-02-03
Packaged: 2019-03-09 13:15:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13482252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohhthatgirl/pseuds/ohhthatgirl
Summary: Bucky takes Steve’s dog for a walk, and in a twenty minute span manages to meet the girl, insult the girl, make the girl think he’s an idiot, but just maybe charm the girl enough to come back for more.





	1. Chapter 1

For what feels like the thousandth time, Bucky cursed the fact that he agreed to watch over Steve’s apartment while he went on a two week vacation with Peggy. It actually wouldn’t have been such a bad deal - the building was pretty prime real estate, free food, free TV - except with apartment sitting duties came doggy daycare as well. Suffice to say, Steve’s black lab Sam did not like Bucky.

He was the definition of man’s best friend, nothing short of completely devoted to Steve, but apparently did not appreciate any of Steve’s attention being paid to his human counterpart. Any time Bucky showed up to the apartment, Sam would find a way to insert himself atop Bucky’s designated couch cushion, or hide his shoes, or steal food directly from his plate. Of course none of these shenanigans occurred while Steve was paying attention, leaving Bucky to speculate that it was all an act to make him look like a paranoid idiot. The lab had an uncharacteristically intelligent glint to his eyes that, on occasion, seemed entire too aware of all the ways he could annoy Bucky to death.

Which is how, at the ass-crack of dawn, Bucky found himself standing in the frigid winter air just waiting for the dog to take a piss. They had shuffled around the block for more than twenty minutes and still the dog kept sniffing about, apparently picky about where exactly the perfect spot was. Bucky’s fingers were numb and he knew there was only a narrow chance of getting back to sleep. “Come on, you little shit, hurry up.”

“Excuse me?”

Bucky whipped around to find a woman - a ridiculously attractive one because of course - staring at him open-mouthed and on the verge of being offended. His brain took a second to register that she thought he had been talking to her, and he fumbled over his words like some awkward teen that had never spoken to a girl before. “No- I didn’t mean- Not you. I was talking to… the dog.”

She raised a brow, evidently not impressed with his less-than-coherent excuse, but glanced around him nonetheless. Her eyes lit up when they landed on the current bane of Bucky’s existence, her scowl immediately melting into a wide grin. “Sam, is that you? Who’s a good boy?”

To Bucky’s surprise and annoyance, the dog changed his snooty demeanor and immediately became playful for this woman. He rolled over on the ground, belly up, his tongue lolling out excitedly. She crouched down to scratch his stomach fondly and then glanced back up at Bucky. “How could you say this guy is a little shit? He’s such a good boy!”

Bucky snorted humorlessly and glared at the lab. “A good actor, maybe. Has everyone else fooled, but I know what he’s up to.” The moment the words left his mouth, Bucky was acutely aware of how paranoid they sounded, but rather than stepping away from the apparently-deranged man, the woman laughed. The sound made something in Bucky’s gut tighten, his attention completely fixated on the lovely shape of the stranger’s mouth.

“Maybe he just doesn’t appreciate being called names.” The woman offered a charming smile. “I’m Y/N, by the way. I live up in 3C.” She gestured to the apartment building and Bucky registered that her room was right next door to Steve’s. Bucky made a mental note to throttle Steve for never mentioning how drop dead gorgeous his neighbor was before responding.

“I, uh- I’m Steve’s friend. I’m watching his apartment while he’s away."

Y/N tilted her head slightly, obviously waiting for him to continue speaking, but before Bucky pieced together what he was supposed to say next, her phone buzzed, catching her attention. She looked down at the screen and then back at Bucky with an apologetic smile. “I’d better be off. Don’t hesitate to knock if you need help with this guy, though. I’m always down to play around!” Bucky almost choked on his spit at the dirty path his mind immediately went down at the possible double entendre, and tried hard to keep the blush from rising to his cheeks.

She made it most of the way down the street before glancing back, a playful light in her eyes, and Bucky swore he could get lost in her smile for days. “See you around, Steve’s friend!” She called, then disappeared around the corner.

Bucky waved back weakly, a stupid, lovesick smile growing on his lips until he realized she called him Steve’s friend because he had forgotten to give her his own damn name. Sam barked in a way that made Bucky feel like the dog was actually laughing at him.

It was going to be an interesting two weeks.


	2. part two

Bucky brandished the tongs at the dog in a threatening manner. “Steak is for humans. Dogs eat kibble. Shoo.” Sam gazed back at him, unimpressed, and continued to eye the steak on the counter. Keeping a careful watch over the dog, Bucky resumed his remaining dinner preparations.

A few days had passed since his fateful run-in with the neighbor, and despite burning desire to do so, Bucky hadn’t found the courage to walk next door and talk to her like a normal human being would totally be capable of doing. He floated around ways to casually bump into her again, going so far as to take Sam out at dawn, but to no avail. Perhaps it wasn’t meant to be and she would quickly forget about Steve’s weird friend and find some other guy and-

His depressing stream of thought was interrupted by a large clatter. Bucky pulled himself to the present to see Sam had upset a bar stool across the room. He glared at the dog and moved to pick it up. When he turned back to the kitchen, it was only to find that Sam had used the stool as a diversion to make an attempt at the meat.

“Oi! You little shit! That’s my food,” Bucky yelled as he charged the dog. Sam wagged his tail happily and scampered around the kitchen, dancing just out of reach. “Get back here!”

Just as Bucky managed to corral the dog into the living room, he head a sharp knock at the front door. He gave the dog a warning glare before moving to open the door. His heart was not prepared to come face-to-face with Y/N, and he immediately broke into a smile before controlling himself.

She smiled before glancing over his shoulder worriedly. “I heard shouting and just wanted to check that everything was okay…?”

“Oh. Uh, yeah, everything’s under control.”Bucky attempted to be suave and lean against the door frame with the full intent of demonstrating that he could flirt and string together a coherent sentence, but at that second, there was another loud clatter within the apartment.

Bucky fled to the kitchen to see that Sam finally accomplished his goal of ruining Bucky’s night. His dinner lay in a heap on the ground, half of the steak miraculously having disappeared. Bucky glared at the dog as he picked up the mess, but was quickly distracted from his anger by the sound of laughter.

Y/N had followed him into the apartment and bore witness to this latest embarrassment. “Everything still under control?” She teased.

Bucky groaned and rubbed his fingers through his hair in frustration. Any chance of seeing like a functional human being in front of Steve’s neighbor was long gone, and he could kiss any chance of redemption out of the window. “Alright, I kind of lied.”

“Can I interest you in takeout?” Bucky’s eye widened as Y/N gestured to the the plastic bag she had been carrying. “I got a bit greedy and ordered way too much for one.”

“Uh- yaeh, sure. I mean - if you’re sure?”

“Great! Let me just drop off some things and I’ll be right back.”

The moment Y/N left, Bucky whirled back to find that damn dog. Sam has lounging on the back of the couch, temporarily content with his stolen dinner. “Look, I know you don’t like me. But I swear if you behave you’ll get your own steak before Steve gets back. You understand?” Sam’s tail wagged and he barked once in what Bucky took to be agreement. “Good. Do not blow this for us.”

Having taken care of that problem, Bucky rushed to the kitchen to grab plates and silverware and paused in front of the fridge. Was it too presumptuous to get out a few beers? Hell, he didn’t know if Y/N even drank. The front door creaked open and Bucky decided to throw caution to the wind and just bring out the damn drinks.

He reentered the living room to find Y/N settled into the couch, idly flipping through TV channels. She stopped on a cooking competition and smiled up at Bucky as he joined her.

“Courtesy of Steve,” Buck offered a lopsided smile as he passed a bottle to Y/N.

She took it happily and clinked it against his. “To Steve, then.” Bucky swallowed hard as he watched her lips press against the mouth of the bottle and averted her eyes before he got caught staring.

“What is this show anyway?” Bucky asked as they began to fill their plates with the takeout.

Y/N looked affronted. “Are you serious? Only the greatest thing to grace network television in the last decade!” As Y/N got lost in her explanation of the show’s concept, Bucky found himself getting lost in her. Was it normal for an almost-stranger to make his heart pound furiously? Probably not. But he was already at the dangerous border of not caring anymore.

They finished the meal and watched TV, occasionally throwing comments back and forth, and the realization solidified in Bucky’s mind. He liked this woman. A lot. Was it just his imagination or had the distance between their bodies lessened over the course of the evening? If he just casually stretched his arm across the top of the couch he would be able to brush the hair falling across her shoulders and-

His body moved on instinct to follow through with his imagination. Just as his arm was about to settle behind Y/N, Sam hopped into the space between them and Bucky lost his nerve. He tried to disguise his advance as an exaggerated yawn, any good-will towards the dog quickly evaporating.

Bucky reminded himself that it wasn’t normal to be jealous of a dog. But as he watched Y/N’s fingers run through Sam’s fur and the way the dog shamelessly draped himself across her lap, he found himself wishing to switch positions. His glare in Sam’s direction only made the dog wag his tail faster and snuggle deeper against Y/N’s leg. Bucky grit his teeth and forced his attention back to the TV screen.

The episode came to its end much faster than Bucky would have liked. Y/N pushed Sam’s head off her lap and stretched as she unfurled from the couch. Her shirt followed the movement and the slightest glimpse of uncovered skin had Bucky’s mind reeling. “Well, thanks for saving me from myself.” She joked as she helped clear the empty containers.

“No problem. Can I pay you back?”

Y/N waved away the offer with a sweet smile. “My treat, I insist.” She leaned over the couch to scratch affectionately at Sam’s head, all the while offering a delicious view of herself bent over the arm of the couch. Bucky dug his nails into his palms in an effort to ground himself. She had to be doing that on purpose, right? She straightened up, bottom lip tucked between her teeth, head cocked slightly to the side. “Though… there is one thing you could do for me.”

Bucky felt his Adam’s apple bob quickly as he swallowed nervously. Had it been his imagination or did her gaze actually drop down to his lips before shooting back to meet his eye. “Y-Yeah?”

Y/N leaned in, definitely getting closer than strictly necessary, but Bucky could find no reason to complain. At this distance he could smell the sweetness of her perfume and feel the heat of her body and if he turned his head just a few inches he knew his lips would come in contact with hers. “Tell me your name.”

She pulled back with a wide grin, the look in her eye suggesting that she knew all too well the kind of effect she had on his poor heart. Bucky let out the breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding, trying hard to reel his imagination back in. “Bucky.”

“Bucky,” She repeated, and he swore his name never sounded so sweet. “Well then, good night, Bucky.”

So swiftly he didn’t have time to register the motion, Y/N stretched onto her tip toes and pressed a gentle kiss to Bucky’s cheek. She gave a last wave and then slipped out of the front door. Bucky blinked once as his brain tried to catch up, his fingers ghosting over the spot where her lips had been.

There was hope yet for him.


	3. part three

In the ensuing days since the impromptu dinner date - if he could even call it that - Bucky convinced himself that he was overreacting. Y/N probably hadn’t been provoking him intentionally. That was all in his head. And anyway, people kissed each other on the cheek all the time, right? It had probably been a friendly kind of kiss good night, right? They bumped into each other a few times since, but someone was always in a rush to do something or go somewhere, forcing them to exchange only short greetings. Perhaps his raging attraction to Y/N made him read into the situation too much and pursing the matter further would only result in even more embarrassment.

But still, if it wasn’t all in his head and he let the opportunity slip between his fingers… As his time dog sitting drew closer to its end, Bucky found himself almost desperate to find out where exactly they stood. In the meantime, there was an annoying little mutt to tend to 

He had Sam’s leash on, prepared for their mid-afternoon walk. Bucky pulled the door open a crack, then realized he had forgotten his headphones on the kitchen table. He dropped the leash to double back, but that was all the opportunity Sam needed before nuzzling the door the rest of the way open and bolting down the hall.

“Hey! We had a deal!” Bucky called as he dashed to the front door. He caught himself on the frame when he saw Sam happily nuzzling Y/N, who had evidently just existed her apartment.

“Hey, buddy! Going for a walk? I think you’ll need to wait for Bucky,” She chided the dog, then smiled down the hallway.

“You’re a life saver, doll,” Bucky said as she handed Sam’s leash back over. Their fingers brushed slightly during the exchange and he could practically feel the air tingle with the electricity between them. They fell into step with one another as they made their way out of the building. “You heading out?

“Got stuck with closing tonight,” she mentioned with a grimace. “It’s always a zoo. You’d be surprised by how many people want coffee at night.”

“No kidding?” Bucky prompted her with a look and it was all it took for Y/N to launch into a story about a group of college students that regularly wreaked havoc on the shop. He smiled at her animated expressions, and steadfastly ignored the fact that he had walked pass the turn to the park and instead kept in step with Y/N. Sam nipped at his ankle in annoyance, but Bucky figured it was worth it for a few more stolen minutes.

They stopped after ten more minutes of walking, Y/N’s eyes widening when she realized they had made it all the way to the cafe already. “Oh! I’m so sorry for dragging you all the way here… You should have just cut me off.”

Bucky shrugged and tried to keep his posture casual. “It’s fine. We didn’t mind.”

Y/N tugged her bottom lip between her lips, Bucky hyperfixated on the motion. What would she do if he leaned down and pulled that lip into his own mouth- His thought was derailed by her next question. “Steve’s going to be back soon, right?”

“Yeah, he gets in early tomorrow.”

“I guess this is the last time I’ll bump into you for a while, huh? You be a good boy for Bucky, okay?” She added as she leaned down to scratch Sam behind the ears.

Panic shot down Bucky’s throat. He wasn’t ready for this to be goodbye. It was finally time to screw his courage to the sticking place and make a move.

“Let me walk you home later,” He blurted out before giving it much thought. “For… safety purposes.”

“For safety purposes,” Y/N agreed and flashed the smile that Bucky had quickly fallen head-over-ass for. “I’ll catch you around ten then.” She waved once before disappearing into the cafe and Bucky practically floated at having finally gotten something right. 

Sam nipped his ankle more insistently, patience having evidently run dry, and Bucky turned to retrace their steps to the park, happy grin still in place.

* * *

Bucky shifted his position against the lamppost for what felt like the twentieth time in the last five minutes. In his excitement to see Y/N again he had arrived a few minutes early and now had time to overthink everything. Did crossing his arms look too posed? The piece of paper with his phone number scrawled on it burned a hole though his pocket. Was it too cheesy? Should he try to play it cool or just come right out with his attraction? Sam snorted at him and Bucky swore that if dogs could roll their eyes, Sam’s would have fallen out of his head by now.

“Hey! Hope you weren’t waiting for long.” His head snapped around to see Y/N walking towards him, and his heart thumped weakly at the radiance of her smile. Again he found his eyes unable to pull away from the full pout of her lips.

“Not at all. Shall we?” They fell into step again and Bucky wondered if the sky was always so filled with stars, the street lights so warm, the night air so refreshing, or if it was Y/N’s presence that amplified all the good in the world. 

Despite feeling like he was floating, Bucky deliberately dragged his feet along the sidewalk, hoping to prolong the walk home, even just for a few seconds. Y/N didn’t seem to mind the slow pace as she peered into the various storefronts along the way and make idle chatter. On the other hand, Sam seemed to be growing impatient with their lagging pace. He wound himself between Bucky’s legs in hopes of getting them to speed up, but Bucky stepped over the leash with ease and kept his own pace.

Bucky couldn’t help but notice their shoulders brushed occasionally, and wondered if he was the only one intentionally drifting closer. She smelled faintly of coffee and sugar and Bucky fought to keep himself focused on her words. How in the hell was he supposed to keep his head around this girl?

All too soon, the apartment building came into view and a heavy silence settled over them as they made their way upstairs. Bucky stopped in front of Y/N’s door, at a loss as she smoothly maneuvered her keys in the lock. “Thanks again for coming out to get me.”

“No problem.” Bucky watched, fascinated, as Y/N’s tongue darted out to unconsciously wet her lips. His stomach flipped and the heaviness of the air felt almost unbearable. He completely lost his nerve. “It was… nice meeting you.”

He swore her expression faltered for a second at this statement before she hitched a small smile back on her lips. “Yeah, you too. You guys have a good night.”

She made to open her apartment door and Bucky was overwhelmed by the need to clarify his statement. He stepped forward to catch her arm or something to make her wait, but felt himself tipping forward. In the moments of hesitation by the door, Sam managed to wind his leash around Bucky’s ankles and gravity took its latest victim. Y/N reached out steady him, but his momentum was too great and they both ended up going down.

It took a few moments to register the compromising position they landed in. Bucky lay almost completely on top of Y/N, his body wedged between her partially-splayed legs. He could feel her chest rise and fall with every breath. But most damning of all, he had instinctively cradled her head during the fall, pulling her close to his body, and their lips pressed together in an awkward, unintentional, yet unmistakable kiss.

Bucky kicked the tangled leash away from his legs and scrambled to help Y/N to her feet. “I’m sorry! That’s, uh- not really how I planned on that happening.” He glanced at her face to gauge her response and was floored by the light flush spreading across her cheeks.

She still managed to flash her signature mischievous smile and asked, “So how did you want it to happen?” 

Realizing his slip, Bucky felt heat rush to the tips of his ears and he fought the urge to turn away. The unbearable tension from early had dissipated and been replaced by electricity once more. It was now or never, right? He stepped closer to Y/N, using his right hand to pull her chin up and finally capture her lips against his.

Bucky pulled away slowly and watched through half-lidded eyes as Y/N tipped her head forward, unconsciously chasing his lips. Desire roiled in his stomach, and he fought the urge to claim her lips with more passion. He took a measured step backwards and let himself catch his breath.

Y/N blinked once and the dazed glaze left her eyes. She looked up at Bucky and he saw his own goofy smile mirrored on her face. “I…” For once she seemed at a loss for words and just giggled. “Wow.”

“Yeah… Wow.” Bucky reached into his pocket and withdrew the slip of paper with his number, pressing it into Y/N’s hand. “I- yeah- um, good night, Y/N.” Slightly cursing his last minute nerves, he retreated into Steve’s apartment and leaned against the door, his heart still hammering a mile a minute. So not everything had gone to plan, but as his phone buzzed with a new text message that contained a winking kiss, Bucky couldn’t find it in him to regret the evening. 

Perhaps dog sitting wasn’t all that bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> an explicit bonus chapter will be posted separately, please look out for it!

**Author's Note:**

> find me on tumblr @sakurasama


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